God did not give up His people because they murmured. He loved them in spite of all their sinfulness, and even after forty years of wilderness life, during which their sinfulness was revealed, He still would not allow Balaam to curse them. Balaam had to say, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel” (Num. 23:2121He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. (Numbers 23:21)). What a gracious God is ours! How He loves His people! Nor does God love us because of anything in ourselves, but because of the goodness that is in His own heart. He knew all about us before He picked us up in grace and will never be disappointed in one of His children, though He may be grieved at our sinful ways. We should be more careful not to grieve His loving heart, but let us never doubt that love (John 13:11Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (John 13:1); Romans 8:38-3938For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38‑39)).
God Provides Food
God said that He would send them quails in the evening and manna in the morning. He knew all about their need and He was able to supply it, too. The quails were birds, something like partridges, but they were only sent on two occasions. The manna, on the other hand, was to be their daily food. God sent it down for them each morning of their wilderness journey. It tasted like wafers made with honey, and there was plenty for everyone.
The manna is an illustration of Christ as the Bread of God who came down from heaven (John 6:3333For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (John 6:33)). Only the children of Israel, who were a redeemed people, could eat of the manna. So now only the true children of God can “feed” upon Christ in His life down here. That is why the Lord Jesus said, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:5353Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (John 6:53)). There can be no association with Christ except through His death.
The Lamb Before the Manna
We hear a great deal today about the life and teachings of Christ from unsaved men. The first thing a sinner needs is to learn that he is lost in his sins, and that the Lord Jesus had to die to save him. This is what it means by eating His flesh and drinking His blood. It is the death of Christ appropriated to one’s own personal need.
Only after we have learned that the work of Christ has met all God’s holy claims against sin, and see that we are in a new standing, “in Christ” before God, can we enjoy thinking of the life of Christ as Man. We rejoice to think of His perfect obedience to God His Father in every step of His pathway. In this way we “feed” upon Him as the Manna. We have the new life from God, too, the very life of Christ which delights in obedience to God.
How foolish it is for a sinner who is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:11And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)) to try to make Christ his Example! He is still at enmity with God until he has been reconciled to God by the death of God’s Son (Romans 5:1010For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)). Nicodemus would have accepted Christ as a great teacher, but the Lord’s message to him was, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:77Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7)). The children of Israel had to feed upon the Passover lamb, which typified Christ in death, before they could cross the Red Sea and eat the manna, which typified Christ as the Bread of God come down from heaven.
Further Meditation
1. What does the manna represent?
2. What other food or drink in Scripture is used as a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ?
3. Going to Gilgal: Through Death and Deliverance by C. H. Mackintosh presents the meaning of the Passover and Red Sea that are mentioned as figures of Christ’s death in this chapter. It might be helpful to you in extending the very short description of these that is given in this chapter.